Expansion joint



W. H. PHILLIPS EXPANSION JOINT Nov. 18 1924.

Filed April 11 922 V Z m" Patented Nov. 18, 1924.

UNITED STATES WILL H. rnrnms, or CHICAGO, rumors.-

EXPANSION .Tonrr.

Application filled April I1, 1922. Serial K0. 551,835.

' To all whom. it may concern:

I is, of course, in an upward direction, and:

- present .device -pr Be it known that I, WILL H. Pmnnrrs,

a citizen of the United States, residin at' Chicago, county of Cook, and-Stateo Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in- Expansion Joints, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawin "s, forming apart of the same.

his invention-relates to improvements in expansion joints. r Y Y The especial'object of the present invention is to provide an improved expansion joint of sim 1e and durable construction, which shall. satisfactory in application to a turbine exhaust connection to a .condenser. The invention may be advantageously usedin this relation, even where the turbine and condenser are mounted on solid foundations and with the condenser be- I neath-the turbine. Expansion of such condenser, when mounted on asolid foundation,

various expedients have been resorted to meet this condition, many of which are complicated, while the simpler means have'been found more or lgss unsatisfactory. The vides an eflicient means for compensating for all ordinary movement of the connected arts, as well as any abnormal expansion suc as may occur in a condenser when the circulating pump stops, through accident or otherwise, with resultant excessive heating and expansion of the condenser. The invention contemplates the use of aresilient member interposed between the ends of hollow members, such as a turbine exhaust and condenser, which in use will be sufficientcompressible and resilient to compensate l fbr such expansion and maintain constantly a tight joint. Means are also preferably provided for protectlng the resilient memer from contact with oil, steam or other elements harmful thereto, thereby prolonging the life of such member, and this feature, with the novel means for positioning and holding such resilient member, rovide an expansion joint in which loss of t e protecting liquid is prevented even when the parts are in their most widely separated positions.

For a full understanding of the invention, the same will now be described in detail in connection with a referred embodidrawings, and the novel features thereo then pointed out in the appended. claims.

In the drawings- F igue 1 is a section on the irregular line 1-1 of Figure 2, and' Figure 2'is a broken vertical section taken centrally through Figure 1. 7 7 I Referring now to the drawlngs',.and-particularly to Fig. 2., the members subject to longitudinal expansion and contraction with respect to each Oillllflllfi, in the .-ent case, the exhaustA of a steam tur me.

and acondenser shell. the letter Bindieat ing theslcain inlet thereof. Inorderto permit the required expansion andcontrae.

tionof these parts, incident to' tempera'' 'ture changes produced by the exhaust steam and otherwise, there is'interposed between the parts A and B an annular member lfl.

preferably of circular form, and of a flexile and resilient x-material, 'viihich may"ad-- vantagtaously be soft rubber, the' re silient qualities of whichwill be'fenhanced byproviding, therein a central hollow space 11,

forming, in effect, an aircushiom The member 10. may be supported in any 'suitable-manner, but a preferred'support there for consists of circularflanges or plates 12. 13 secured, respectively, to the arts A, B by bolts 1, such flanges or ates being formed with circular Ild es 2 having their outer faces shaped to con orm to the curvature of the member 10, to provide a secure seat for such member. The limitof lon tudinal movement toward each other of tie parts A, B is, of course, the distance between thetops of the ridges 2, and snflicient space must, therefore, be left therebetween to meet all requirements of the use for which the joint may be designed. A convenient and preferred manner of preventing the member 10 from being forced laterally ofl" of its seat on the flanges 12, 13 is shown, consisting of a plurality of arcuate members 3, conforming in she e to the periphery of the member 10 an held thereagainst by adjusting screws 4 havin a loose engagement with sockets 5 forms on the areuate members 3 whereby the resilient member 10' may he lateraly compressed against the circular rid es 2. Not only is lateral displacement and distortion of the member 10 thus prevented when maximum expansion of the hollow members between which it is located occurs, but such lateral compression of the member 10 also aids materially in maintaining a fluid tight. joint While, the flangesor plates12,-13-are' shown 'as formed in onejpiece, it willbe 'unwhen the hollow members A, B reach their thereof,- and are also provided, with protecting caps 6. To prevent oil or other foreign-matter coming in contact-with 'the resilient member and exerting a deterioratj ing eflect thereon, the circular plate or flange 13 is provided with. an extension 7,

- forming a circ'ular'trough forreception of water or the like,i ndicated at (I, the depth of such'tr'ough and height of the liquid therein being such as to entirely cover the resilientmember 10; The trough is also provided with an overflow. connection D leading to any'suitablepoint;whereby any foreign substance, such, for example, as oil,

which would havea'tendency to rot the 'rub bermember 10, is kept-from contact therederstoodthat', they maybe made inc-any 'number 'of' sections desired and-such sec .tions' bolted on otherwise secured'tog'ether' vinftlii-tgi usual manner, -..as, for. instance, by

- forming abutting rightangl'e flan es. on

eachvsectionywith provision for bolting the flanges together. :111" the present usef'of the 'device galso, .it'is prefera inner surface of the member. 10 ,from contact with'the exhaust steam, and this may conveniently bedone by providing a hollow cylinder E, secured to either the member A or B, or the flanges; 12 or 13, as desired, by screwsa, so that, as shown in Fig. 2, the part Band its flange 13 may be free to move longitudinally on the cylinder E, as the condenserexpands and contracts, and yet protect the inner surface of the member 10 from contact with the exhaust swam.

Itwill be understood that the invention is not confined to use as an'expansion joint between a steam turbine exhaust and a condenser, as shown,,but that the device is capable of use in various other relations and. in its-broader aspects, on either vertical or horizontal joints.- It is to be understood, also, thatvarious changes and modifications may be made-in the construction and arran ement 01' parts shown and described, whi e still retaining the invention defined by the claims. a

What is claimed is:

1. In an expansion joint, the combination with a plurality of hollow members. ofa resilient annular member interposedbetween the juxtaposed ends of said hollow members, and adjustable means for laterall compressing said annular member to increase rovided with squaredor otherwise formed eadsto facilitate turning le to protect the v in said grooves, and

rubber ring interposed between the ends of said h'ollow'members, means for laterally compressing said cylindrical member to increase the pressure thereo-f on theends of said hollow members, and hold it in place and liquid sealing means for preventing contact of oil with said rubber ring.

4. Ina-n ex ansion joint, the combination with a plurality of hollow memberS,- of a rubber ring'interposed between the ends of said hollow members, laterally movable members fora plying pressure to the periphery-ofsaid rub bers and hold it in place, and a li uid hold- .iiigv trough .surrounding' said In her ring i for preventing contact of oil with said rubber rin 5. In an expansionjoint, the combination with a' plurality of hollow members, of plates secured to thejuxt'aposed ends of said -members,=said plates having grooves formed therein,-a, resilient packing member seated aterally movable members for applying pressure to the periphery ofsaid resilient packing member to hold it inplace and increase its pressure on the ends of saidhollow members. I 6. In an expansion joint, the combination with a plurality of hollow members, of a rubber tube interposed between the juxtaposed ends of said hollow members, adjustle arcuate members arranged to engage t e periphery of said rubber tube and hold it in place under lateral compression, and liquid sealing means for preventing contact of oil withsaid tube.

7. In an expansion joint, the combination with the juxtaposed ends of a. plurality of cylindrical hollow members, of a rubber ring interposed between the ends of said hollow members, seats for said rubber ring formed on the ends of said hollow members, adjustable members arranged to engage the periphery of said rubber ring and hold=it in place under lateral compression, a liquid holding trough surrounding said rubber ring for preventing contact of oil therewith. an overflow connection to said trough, and

means for protecting the inner surface 'of' said rubber ring from fluid passing through the hollow members ber rin to increase. the pressure thereof onthe-en' s' of said hollow memrespectively, of

8. In an expansion joint, for a turbine cxthe comjuxtaposed ends of a tur- A and condenser inlet B, of flanges 12, 13 tubularrubber ring 10 interposed therebetween, adjustable arcuate members 3 arranged to enga e the periphery of said rubber ring and 110 d it in place under lateral compression, and liquid holding trough 7 for preventing contact of oil with said rub r ring.

In an expansion joint for a turbine. exhaust connection with a condenser. the combination with the juxtaposed ends A, B,

a turbine exhaust and condenser inlet, of flanges 12, 13, respectively, secured thereto, tubular rubber ring 10 seated on said flanges, adjustable arcuate members 3 for positioning and holding said rubber ring in place, and screws 4 for adjusting said arcuate members.

In an expansion joint for a turbine exhaust connection to a condenser, bination with the juxtaposed ends exhaust A and condenser inlet B, of grooved flanges 12, 12 tubular rubber ring 10 interposed therebetween, adjustable arcuate members 3 arranged to engage the periphery of said rubber ring and hold it under lateral compression, liquid holding trough 7 for preventing contact of oil with said rubber lln and cylinder E arranged to protect the inner surface of said rubber ring 10 from contact with exhaust steam.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

WILL H. PHILLIPS. 

